Refrigerator

ABSTRACT

A refrigerator includes a bottle receiving shelf to receive bottle-shaped containers containing contents. The refrigerator includes a body having a storage chamber defined therein, and a bottle receiving shelf in the storage chamber to allow a bottle-shaped container to be stored in a laid state. The bottle receiving shelf includes a first partition shelf having a first seat, and a second partition shelf having a second seat. The second partition shelf is positioned at a front side of the first partition shelf to move backward and forward, and overlaps the first partition shelf when being moved backward. The first and second seats are alternately arranged in a transverse direction to allow the second partition shelf to overlap the first partition shelf when the second partition shelf is moved backward, so that the bottle-shaped containers can be received in an upright state in the storage chamber.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No.10-2006-0028097, filed on Mar. 28, 2006 in the Korean IntellectualProperty Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a refrigerator which includes a bottlereceiving shelf to receive bottle-shaped containers containing contents.

2. Description of the Related Art

Generally, a conventional refrigerator includes a storage chambermaintained at a low temperature, to store food or other contents in afresh state for a long time period. The conventional refrigeratorincludes a body which constitutes an outer appearance of therefrigerator and includes the storage chamber defined therein to storethe contents therein, a door hingably coupled to one side of the body toopen the storage chamber at a front side of the body, a refrigeratingsystem received in the body to refrigerate the storage chamber, and thelike.

One type of conventional refrigerator is a wine refrigerator asdisclosed in Korean Patent Laid-open No. 2005-110383.

The conventional wine refrigerator stores wine contained in abottle-shaped container (i.e. a wine bottle). A storage chamber of thewine refrigerator includes a plurality of bottle receiving shelves thatdivide the storage chamber into upper and lower spaces to allow aplurality of wine bottles to be efficiently received in or drawn out ofthe storage chamber.

In general, an inlet of the wine bottle stored in the wine refrigeratoris closed by a cork. Since the cork must be maintained in a wet state toprevent oxidation of wine caused by induction of air from an exterior,it is desirable that the bottle having the wine therein be stored in alaid state.

In the conventional wine refrigerator, the bottles are stored in thelaid state on the bottle receiving shelves, which are generally spacedfrom each other a distance slightly wider than the diameter of the winebottle so as to allow the plurality of wine bottles to be efficientlylaid and stored on the shelves.

Meanwhile, since it is very difficult to achieve complete resealing ofthe inlet of the bottle having been opened once even when closing thewine bottle by use of the cork to store remaining wine in the bottle,there is a likelihood of leakage of the wine through a fine gap betweenthe inlet of the wine and the cork in the event where the bottle isreceived in the laid state in the storage chamber.

Thus, for the wine bottle having been once opened, it is more desirableto be stored in an upright state. However, since the conventional winerefrigerator is configured to have the bottle receiving shelves spacedslightly wider than the diameters of the wine bottles, there is aproblem in that the wine bottle cannot be stored in the upright state inthe conventional wine refrigerator.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide arefrigerator which can receive containers, such as wine bottles, havingcontents, in any state selected from a laid state and an upright state.

It is another aspect of the present invention to provide therefrigerator, which allows an easy withdrawal of the containerscontaining the contents and being received deeply inside a storage room.

Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forthin part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparentfrom the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention are achievedby providing a refrigerator including a body having a storage chamberdefined therein, and a bottle receiving shelf positioned in the storagechamber to allow a bottle-shaped container having contents therein to bestored in a laid state, the bottle receiving shelf including a firstpartition shelf having a first seat on which the bottle-shaped containeris seated in the laid state, and a second partition shelf having asecond seat on which the bottle-shaped container is seated in the laidstate, wherein the second partition shelf is positioned at a front sideof the first partition shelf to move backward and forward, and overlapsthe first partition shelf when being moved backward, and the first andsecond seats are alternately arranged in a transverse direction to allowthe second partition shelf to overlap the first partition shelf when thesecond partition shelf is moved backward.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the first partitionshelf includes a plurality of the first seats spaced a predetermineddistance from each other in the transverse direction, and the secondpartition shelf includes a plurality of the second seats spaced apredetermined distance from each other in the transverse direction,wherein as the second partition shelf is moved backward, the pluralityof second seats enter spaces between the plurality of first seats,respectively.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the bottle receivingshelf further includes a pair of first guide rails extending forward onopposite sides of the first partition shelf and having first guiderecesses to receive opposite sides of the second partition shelf suchthat the second partition shelf can be moved backward and forward in thefirst guide recesses.

According to an aspect of the present invention, The storage chamberincludes a pair of second guide rails extending backward and forward onopposite walls of the storage chamber, and including second guiderecesses to receive the first guide rails such that the first guiderails are moved backward and forward in the second guide recesses.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the first guide railincludes a stopper to force the backward and forward movement of thesecond partition shelf to be performed in the first guide recess.

The refrigerator further includes a locking device to maintain a stateof the second partition shelf being disposed at the front side of thefirst guide rail.

The locking device includes a locking member positioned at either sideof the second partition shelf to be moved in the transverse direction,and a latch jaw protruding from the first guide rail to latch a rear endof the locking member advanced in the transverse direction.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a leading end of thelocking member facing in the transverse direction includes a guideprotrusion integrally formed therewith to move backward and forward inthe first guide recess, the latch jaw protruding from an inner surfaceof the first guide recess and latching a rear end of the guideprotrusion.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a total width of thelatch jaw and the guide protrusion in the transverse direction may benarrower than a width of the first guide recess in the transversedirection.

The locking member includes a knob protruding downward from a lowersurface to allow easy application of an external force to the lockingmember.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the locking devicefurther includes a resilient member to resiliently support the lockingmember in the transverse direction, and the latch jaw includes oppositerounded end surfaces in a longitudinal direction.

Each of the first and second seats includes an arcuate cross-section toallow the bottle-shaped container having the contents therein to bestably seated thereon.

Each of the first and second seats includes a through-hole through whichchilled air flows up and down.

The refrigerator further includes an ordinary receiving shelf positionedbelow the bottle receiving shelf and including a planar shape, and thesecond partition shelf includes a first support groove formed at anupper side of a front end of the second partition shelf to slantlysupport an inlet-side end of the bottle-shaped container having thecontents therein, and the ordinary receiving shelf includes a secondsupport groove formed at a front side of an upper surface of theordinary receiving shelf to support a rear-side lower end of thebottle-shaped container.

It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a refrigeratorincluding a body having a storage chamber defined therein, and a bottlereceiving shelf positioned in the storage chamber to allow abottle-shaped container having contents therein to be stored in a laidstate, the bottle receiving shelf including a first partition shelf, anda second partition shelf positioned at a front side of the firstpartition shelf to be horizontally moved backward and forwardsubstantially on a same height as that of the first partition shelf, andto overlap the first partition shelf when being moved backward.

The first partition shelf includes a first seat on which thebottle-shaped container is seated in the laid state, and the secondpartition shelf includes a second seat on which the bottle-shapedcontainer is seated in the laid state, the first and second seats beingalternately arranged in a transverse direction to allow the secondpartition shelf to overlap the first partition shelf when the secondpartition shelf is horizontally moved backward.

The first partition shelf includes a plurality of the first seats spaceda predetermined distance from each other in the transverse direction,and the second partition shelf includes a plurality of the second seatsspaced a predetermined distance from each other in the transversedirection, wherein as the second partition shelf is horizontally movedbackward, the plurality of second seats enter spaces between theplurality of first seats, respectively.

It is yet another aspect of the present invention to provide arefrigerator including a body having a storage chamber defined therein,a first partition shelf positioned in the storage chamber and includinga plurality of first seats arranged in a transverse direction, on whichbottle-shaped containers, each including contents therein, are seated ina laid state, and a second partition shelf positioned at a front side ofthe first partition shelf to be moved from a front side of the firstpartition shelf to a rear side of the first partition shelf, andincluding a plurality of second seats arranged in the transversedirection, on which other bottle-shaped containers, each including othercontents therein, are seated in the laid state, wherein the firstpartition shelf includes a pair of first support members extending inthe transverse direction and being respectively secured to front andrear ends of the plurality of first seats to support the plurality offirst seats, the plurality of second seats being supported on an uppersurface of one of the first support members secured to the front ends ofthe first seats.

The second partition shelf includes a pair of second support membersextending in the transverse direction and being secured to front andrear ends of the plurality of second seats to support the plurality ofsecond seats, the plurality of first seats being supported on an uppersurface of one of the second support members secured to the rear ends ofthe second seats.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent and more readily appreciated from the following description ofthe embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings ofwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a bottle receiving shelf ofthe refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the refrigerator in which bothfront and rear spaces of a storage chamber are partitioned into upperand lower spaces by the bottle receiving shelf according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the refrigerator in which onlythe rear space of the storage chamber is partitioned into the upper andlower spaces by the bottle receiving shelf according to an embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the refrigerator in which thebottle receiving shelf is spread out in the front side according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the construction of a lockingdevice for the bottle receiving shelf of the refrigerator according toan embodiment of the present invention; and

FIGS. 7 and 8 are cross-sectional views illustrating operation of thelocking device for the bottle receiving shelf of the refrigeratoraccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the presentinvention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elementsthroughout. The embodiments are described below to explain the presentinvention by referring to the figures.

Herein, a wine refrigerator to store wine contained in bottle-shapedcontainers will be described as an example of the refrigerator accordingto an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the wine refrigerator according to an embodiment ofthe present invention comprises a body 10 which comprises a storagechamber 11 and is opened at a front side thereof, and a door 20 hingablycoupled with one side of the body 10 to open and close the storagechamber 11. A refrigerating system (not shown) is equipped in the body10 to refrigerate the storage chamber 11.

The storage chamber 11 comprises a plurality of receiving shelves 30 and40, which divide a space of the storage chamber 11 into upper and lowerspaces to allow a plurality of bottle-shaped containers to beefficiently received in or drawn out of the spaces. The receivingshelves 30 and 40 comprises at least one bottle receiving shelf 30 toallow the bottle-shaped containers, such as wine bottles, each havingwine therein, to be seated thereon in a laid state within the storagechamber 11, and at least one ordinary receiving shelf 40 including aplanar shape, to allow various kinds of containers having various kindsof contents therein, including the wine bottles to be seated thereon.According to an embodiment of the present invention, such bottlereceiving shelves 30 and such ordinary receiving shelves 40 arealternately arranged up and down in the storage chamber 11.

Here, a front space of the storage chamber 11 can be selectivelypartitioned by use of the bottle receiving shelf 30 so as to allow thebottle-shaped containers having the wine therein, to be stored freely invarious manners within the storage chamber 11, such as when a userdesires to store the bottle-shaped containers including the wine bottlesin an upright state within the storage chamber 11. According to anembodiment of the present invention, when the heights of the containersare lower than a separation between the receiving shelves 30 and 40,both the front and rear spaces of the storage chamber 11 are optionallypartitioned by the bottle receiving shelf 30. While, if any one of thecontainers includes a height higher than the separation therebetween asin the case of storing the container having the wine in the uprightstate within the storage chamber 11, only the rear space of the storagechamber 11 is partitioned into the upper and lower spaces by reducingthe length of the bottle receiving shelf 30 in a backward and forwarddirection (i.e., a longitudinal direction), so that the front space ofthe storage chamber 11 can receive the container having the heightgreater than the separation between the receiving shelves 30 and 40.

As shown in FIG. 2, the bottle receiving shelf 30 comprises a firstpartition shelf 31 which is positioned at the rear side of the storagechamber 11 to be moved backward and forward, and a second partitionshelf 32 which is positioned at a front side of the first partitionshelf 31 to be moved backward and forward, and to overlap the firstpartition shelf 31 when being moved backward, in order to allow thefront space of the storage chamber 11 to be selectively partitioned intothe upper and lower spaces, if desired, as described above.

Thus, when the second partition shelf 32 is positioned at the front sideof the first partition shelf 31 as shown in FIG. 3, the front space ofthe storage chamber 11 is partitioned into the upper and lower spaces bythe second partition shelf 32, and the rear space of the storage chamber11 is partitioned into the upper and lower spaces by the first partitionshelf 31 so that both of the front and rear spaces of the storagechamber 11 are partitioned into the upper and lower spaces by the bottlereceiving shelf 30.

When the second partition shelf 32 is moved backward and overlaps thefirst partition shelf 31 as shown in FIG. 4, only the rear space of thestorage chamber 11 is partitioned into the upper and lower spaces by thefirst and second partition shelves 31 and 32.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first partition shelf 31 comprises a pluralityof first seats 31 a, which are spaced a predetermined distance from eachother in the transverse direction and extend in the longitudinaldirection to allow the bottle-shaped containers to be seated thereon,and the second partition shelf 32 comprises a plurality of the secondseats 32 a, which are spaced a predetermined distance from each other inthe transverse direction and extend in the longitudinal direction toallow the bottle-shaped containers to be seated thereon.

Thus, when the second partition shelf 32 is positioned at the front sideof the first partition shelf 31, it is possible to store two rows ofbottle-shaped containers, each containing wine, on the bottle receivingshelf 30 in such a way that one row of bottle-shaped containers isseated on the first seats 31 a of the first partition shelf 31, and theother row of bottle-shaped containers is seated on the second seats 32 aof the second partition shelf 32. On the other hand, when the length ofthe bottle receiving shelf 30 is reduced through superposition of thefirst and second partition shelves 31 and 32, only one side of the firstand second seats 31 a and 32 a allows the one row of bottle-shapedcontainers to be seated and stored thereon, and the front space of thestorage chamber having been partitioned by the second partition shelf 32will be used to store containers, of which the height is higher than theseparation between the receiving shelves 30 and 40 (as shown in FIG. 4,for example).

In this embodiment of the present invention, each of the first andsecond seats 31 a and 32 a is downwardly concaved to have an arcuatecross-section, in order to maintain a stable posture of thebottle-shaped containers having wine contained therein when being seatedon the first and second seats 31 a and 32 a, respectively. In addition,the first and second seats 31 a and 32 a comprise through holes 31 b and32 b through which chilled air flow up and down, respectively, such thatthe chilled air can be easily delivered to the bottle-shaped containerslaid on the first and second seats 31 a and 32 a.

To prevent the separation between the receiving shelves 30 and 40 fromdecreasing while the second partition shelf 32 is moved backward, tooverlap the first partition shelf 31, the second partition shelf 32 ispositioned substantially at the same height as that of the firstpartition shelf 31, and allows horizontal backward movement andsuperposition with the first partition shelf 31. Thus, the first seats31 a and the second seats 32 a are alternately arranged in thetransverse direction.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, as the secondpartition shelf 32 is moved backward, the second seats 32 a enter spacesseparated from each other between the first seats 31 a, respectively, sothat the second partition shelf 32 is horizontally moved backward andthen overlaps the first partition shelf 31. Consequently, the overalllength of the bottle receiving shelf 30 is reduced in the longitudinaldirection without change in the separation between the receiving shelves30 and 40, so that the upper and lower spaces of the storage chamber 11at the front side having been partitioned by the second partition shelf32 are integrated into a single front space, enabling the bottle-shapedcontainers to be stored in an upright state in the front space of thestorage chamber 11 or allowing the bottle-shaped containers higher thanthe separation between the receiving shelves 30 and 40 to be stored inthe storage chamber 11.

The first partition shelf 31 comprises first support members 31 c tosupport the plurality of first seats 31 a, and the second partitionshelf 32 comprises second support members 32 c to support the pluralityof second seats 32 a such that the backward and forward movement of thesecond partition shelf 32 can be stably performed through the first andsecond support members 31 c and 32 c.

The first support members 31 c extend in the transverse direction, andare secured to lower surfaces of the first seats 31 a to support thefirst seats 31 a. The second support members 32 c also extend in thetransverse direction, and are secured to lower surfaces of the secondseats 32 a to support the second seats 32 a. In this embodiment, a pairof first support members 31 c are secured to the lower surfaces of thefirst seats 31 a at front and rear ends of the first seats 31 a,respectively, and a pair of second support members 32 c are secured tothe lower surfaces of the second seats 32 a at front and rear ends ofthe second seats 32 a, respectively.

Here, the first seats 31 a are spaced from each other, and the secondseats 32 a are also spaced from each other. Thus, an upper surface ofthe first support member 31 c secured to the front ends of the firstseats 31 a is partially exposed to the space between the first seats 31a, and an upper surface of the second support member 32 c secured to therear ends of the second seats 32 a is partially exposed to the spacebetween the second seats 32 a.

Thus, the second seats 32 a are supported on the exposed upper surfaceof the first support member 31 c such that the second seats 32 a can bemoved in the longitudinal direction thereon, and the first seats 31 aare supported on the exposed upper surface of the second support member32 c such that the first seats 31 a can be moved in the longitudinaldirection thereon, whereby the first partition shelf 31 and the secondpartition shelf 32 are supported to move in the longitudinal directionvia the first support member 31 c positioned at the front side and thesecond support member 32 c positioned at the rear side, enabling astable backward and forward movement of the second partition shelf 32.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment as shown in FIG. 4, forexample, in order to receive bottle-shaped containers containingcontents therein in an inclined state at the front side of the storagechamber 11, the second partition shelf 32 is formed at an upper side ofthe front end with a first support groove 32 d to support an inlet-sideend of the bottle-shaped container, and the ordinary receiving shelf 40positioned below the bottle receiving shelf 30 is formed at a front sideof an upper surface with a second support groove 41 to support arear-side lower end of the bottle-shaped container. With thisconfiguration, the inlet-side end of the bottle-shaped container issupported on the first support groove 32 d, and the rear-side lower endis supported on the second support groove 41 so that the bottle-shapedcontainer containing the contents can be received in the inclined statein the front space of the storage chamber 11.

In order to install such a bottle receiving shelf 30 in the storagechamber 11, the first partition shelf 31 is provided at opposite sideswith a pair of first guide rails 12 extending forward to receiveopposite sides of the second partition shelf 32 therein such that thesecond partition shelf 32 can be moved backward and forward on the firstguide rails 12, and the storage chamber 11 is provided at opposite sideswith a pair of second guide rails 13 extending in the longitudinaldirection to receive the pair of first guide rails 12 such that thefirst guide rails 12 can be moved backward and forward on the secondguide rails 13, respectively. Each of the first guide rails 12 comprisesa first guide recess 12 a to receive a corresponding side of the secondpartition shelf 32 such that the second partition shelf 32 can be movedbackward and forward therein, and each of the second guide rails 13comprises a second guide recess 13 a to receive the first guide rail 12such that the first guide rail 12 can be moved backward and forwardtherein. The second partition shelf 32 comprises guide protrusions 33 aof locking members 33 (to be discussed in detail below) at oppositesides thereof, which are fitted into the first guide recesses 12 a andmoved backward and forward therein, respectively. In addition, each ofthe first guide rails 12 comprises a stopper 14 at a front end thereof,which is caught by a front end of the guide protrusion 33 a to force thebackward and forward movement of the second partition shelf 32 to beperformed only in the first guide rail 12. According to an embodiment ofthe present invention, the stopper 14 is formed at a rear surface with asecuring portion 14 a which is press-fitted into the first guide recess12 a (see FIG. 6, for example).

When the second partition shelf 32 is forced and pulled forward from therear space of the storage chamber 11, of which the front space has beendefined to receive the bottle-shaped container having the height higherthan the separation between the receiving shelves 30 and 40 in thestorage chamber 11, the second partition shelf 32 is first guided towardthe front space of the storage chamber 11 along the first guide rails12, and then temporarily stopped by the stoppers 14, so that the secondpartition shelf 32 is positioned at the front side of the firstpartition shelf 31. In this state, both the first and second partitionshelves 31 and 32 can store the bottle-shaped containers.

Therefore, when there are needs of positioning or withdrawing thecontainers on or from the first partition shelf 31 having beenpositioned deeply inside the storage chamber 11, the second partitionshelf 32 is pulled forward by applying force to the second partitionshelf 32, and then, the force is transferred to the first guide rails 12through the stoppers 14, causing the first guide rails 12 to be guidedalong the second guide recesses 13 a of the second guide rail 13.Finally, the first guide rails 12 are extended in the front side so thatthe overall bottle receiving shelf 30 positioned on the first guiderails 12 is moved to the front space of the storage chamber 11, therebyallowing the bottle-shaped containers having been positioned on thefirst partition shelf 31 deeply inside the storage chamber 11 to beeasily withdrawn therefrom or allowing the bottle-shaped containers tobe stored on the first partition shelf 31 deeply inside the storagechamber 11.

The wine refrigerator according to an embodiment of the presentinvention further comprises a locking device to maintain a state of thesecond partition shelf 32 being positioned at the front end of the firstguide rails 12, as shown in FIG. 6.

The locking device comprises a pair of locking members 33 positioned atthe opposite sides of the second partition shelf 32 to be moved in thetransverse direction, and a latch jaw 12 b protruding from each firstguide rail 12 to latch a rear end of the locking member 33 and preventthe second partition shelf 32 from being moved backward when the lockingmember 33 is protruded from the second partition shelf 32 in thetransverse direction. Each of the locking members 33 comprises a knob 33b, which is integrally formed with a lower surface of the locking member33 and protrudes downward therefrom, to allow easy application ofexternal force from a user to the locking member. In this embodiment ofthe present invention, a leading end of the locking member 33 facing inthe transverse direction has the aforementioned guide protrusion 33 aintegrally formed therewith, and the latch jaw 12 b is protruded from aninner surface of the first guide recess 12 a to latch the rear end ofthe guide protrusion 33 a.

In this embodiment of the present invention, for example, to allow thelocking member 33 to move in the transverse direction, the first guiderecess 12 a comprises a width W1 greater than a width W2 of the guideprotrusion 33 a formed at the leading end of the locking member 33, anda total width (W2+W3) of the guide protrusion 33 a and the latch jaw 12b in the transverse direction is smaller than the width (W1) of thefirst guide recess 12 a in the transverse direction.

Thus, when the locking member 33 is protruded at either side by aresilient member 33 c, as shown in FIG. 7, the guide protrusion 33 a islatched by the latch jaw 12 b, and thus cannot be moved backward alongthe first guide recess 12 a so that the second partition shelf 32 ismaintained at the front side of the first guide rail 12. Then, when thelocking member 33 is retreated into the second partition shelf 32 byapplication of the external force from the user thereto through the knob33 b, the guide protrusion 33 can be moved backward along the firstguide recess 12 a so that it is possible to move the second partitionshelf 32 backward along the first guide recess 12 a, as shown in FIG. 8.

In this embodiment of the present invention, the locking member 33comprises a rear end resiliently supported by the resilient member 33 cin the transverse direction, and the latch jaw 12 b comprises roundedopposite surfaces in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, not onlywhen the force is applied to the knob 33 b as described above, but alsowhen a predetermined level of external force or more is applied to thesecond partition shelf 32 in the longitudinal direction, the lockingmember 33 can be moved backward along the rounded opposite surfaces ofthe latch jaw 12 b.

Although the bottle receiving shelf 30 of the present invention has beendescribed as being applied to the wine refrigerator in the embodiment,the present invention is not limited hereto, and can be applied to anyof refrigerators when receiving bottle-shaped containers containingvarious contents in a laid state.

As apparent from the above description, the refrigerator according to anembodiment of the present invention comprises first seats of a firstpartition shelf and second seats of a second partition shelf alternatelyarranged in the transverse direction such that the second partitionshelf can be moved backward to overlap the first partition shelf,whereby bottle-shaped containers having various contents therein can bestored in an upright state in a front space of the storage chamber bymoving the second partition shelf toward the rear space of the storagechamber.

Furthermore, the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the presentinvention comprises a pair of guide rails positioned at opposite sidesof the bottle receiving shelf and operable with a pair of second guiderails positioned at opposite sides of the storage chamber such that thebottle receiving shelf can be moved forward by moving the pair of firstguide rails along the pair of second guide rails, enabling thebottle-shaped container having been received deeply inside the storagechamber to be easily withdrawn therefrom.

Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown anddescribed, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art thatchanges may be made in these embodiments without departing from theprinciples and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined inthe claims and their equivalents.

1. A refrigerator, comprising: a body having a storage chamber definedtherein; and a bottle receiving shelf positioned in the storage chamberto allow a bottle-shaped container having contents therein to be storedin a laid state, the bottle receiving shelf comprising a first partitionshelf and a second partition shelf positioned at a front side of thefirst partition shelf to be horizontally moved backward and forwardsubstantially at a same height as that of the first partition shelf, andto overlap the first partition shelf when being moved backward.
 2. Therefrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the first partition shelfcomprises a first seat on which the bottle-shaped container is seated inthe laid state, and the second partition shelf comprises a second seaton which the bottle-shaped container is seated in the laid state, thefirst and second seats being alternately arranged in a transversedirection to allow the second partition shelf to overlap the firstpartition shelf when the second partition shelf is horizontally movedbackward.
 3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the firstpartition shelf comprises a plurality of the first seats spaced apredetermined distance from each other in the transverse direction, andthe second partition shelf comprises a plurality of the second seatsspaced a predetermined distance from each other in the transversedirection, wherein as the second partition shelf is horizontally movedbackward, the plurality of second seats enter spaces between theplurality of first seats, respectively.
 4. The refrigerator according toclaim 1, wherein the bottle receiving shelf further comprises a pair offirst guide rails extending forward on opposite sides of the firstpartition shelf and comprises first guide recesses to receive oppositesides of the second partition shelf such that the second partition shelfcan be moved backward and forward in the first guide recesses.
 5. Therefrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the storage chamber comprisesa pair of second guide rails extending backward and forward on oppositewalls of the storage chamber and comprises second guide recesses toreceive the first guide rails such that the first guide rails are movedbackward and forward in the second guide recesses.
 6. The refrigeratoraccording to claim 4, wherein the first guide rail comprises a stopperto force the backward and forward movement of the second partition shelfto be performed in the first guide recess.
 7. The refrigerator accordingto claim 4, further comprising: a locking device to maintain a state ofthe second partition shelf being disposed at the front side of the firstguide rail.
 8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein thelocking device comprises: a locking member positioned at either side ofthe second partition shelf to be moved in the transverse direction; anda latch jaw protruding from the first guide rail to latch a rear end ofthe locking member advanced in the transverse direction.
 9. Therefrigerator according to claim 8, wherein a leading end of the lockingmember facing in the transverse direction comprises a guide protrusionintegrally formed therewith to move backward and forward in the firstguide recess, the latch jaw protruding from an inner surface of thefirst guide recess and latching a rear end of the guide protrusion. 10.The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein a total sum of widths ofthe latch jaw and the guide protrusion in the transverse direction isnarrower than a width of the first guide recess in the transversedirection.
 11. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein thelocking member comprises a knob protruding downwardly from a lowersurface to allow easy application of an external force to the lockingmember.
 12. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the lockingdevice further comprises a resilient member to resiliently support thelocking member in the transverse direction, and the latch jaw hasopposite rounded end surfaces in a longitudinal direction.
 13. Therefrigerator according to claim 2, wherein each of the first and secondseats has an arcuate cross-section to allow the bottle-shaped containerhaving the contents therein to be stably seated thereon.
 14. Therefrigerator according to claim 2, wherein each of the first and secondseats comprises a through-hole through which chilled air flows up anddown.
 15. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising: anordinary receiving shelf positioned below the bottle receiving shelf andcomprises a planar shape, and wherein the second partition shelfcomprises a first support groove formed at an upper side of a front endof the second partition shelf to slantly support an inlet-side end ofthe bottle-shaped container having the contents therein, and theordinary receiving shelf comprises a second support groove formed at afront side of an upper surface of the ordinary receiving shelf tosupport a rear-side lower end of the bottle-shaped container
 16. Arefrigerator, comprising: a body having a storage chamber definedtherein; a first partition shelf positioned in the storage chamber andcomprises a plurality of first seats arranged in a transverse direction,on which bottle-shaped containers, each having contents therein, areseated in a laid state; and a second partition shelf positioned at afront side of the first partition shelf to be moved from a front side ofthe first partition shelf to a rear side of the first partition shelf,and having a plurality of second seats arranged in the transversedirection, on which other bottle-shaped containers, each having othercontents therein, are seated in the laid state, wherein the firstpartition shelf comprises a pair of first support members extending inthe transverse direction and being respectively secured to front andrear ends of the plurality of first seats to support the plurality offirst seats, the plurality of second seats being supported on an uppersurface of one of the first support members secured to the front ends ofthe first seats.
 17. The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein thesecond partition shelf comprises a pair of second support membersextending in the transverse direction and being secured to front andrear ends of the plurality of second seats to support the plurality ofsecond seats, the plurality of first seats being supported on an uppersurface of one of the second support members secured to the rear ends ofthe second seats.
 18. The refrigerator according to claim 15, whereinthe bottle receiving shelf and the ordinary receiving shelf arealternately arranged up and down in the storage chamber.